Portable electric tool



Aug. 13, 1946. a; HAPPE I PORTABLE ELECTRIC TOOL Filed Jan. 11, 1945Patented Aug. 13, 1946 7 2,405,827 PORTABLE ELECTRIC TOOL Reynold Happe,Pittstown, N. J.,

Singer Manufacturing Company,

assignor to The Elizabeth,

N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application January 11, 1945, SerialNo. 572,372

Claims. (Cl. 172-36) This invention relates to a portable electric toolof the kind including a motor housing and having a hollow handle inwhich is mounted the control switch for the circuit leads to a motorenclosed within the housing.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a portable tool ofthis kind having an improved switch unit adapted for complete assemblyapart from the tool and for ready insertion into the handle withoutrequiring any circuit or other connections to be manually made therein.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements ofparts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawingof a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the severalfeatures of the invention and th advantages attained thereby will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. l is a partially-sectioned, sideelevation of the rear end of a tool incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partially-sectioned, rear elevation of the tool;

Fig. 3 is a broken-out front elevation of the rear portion of the tool;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the handle; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the mounting plate portion of the switchunit.

The tool comprises a motor housing, generally designated l, which mergesinto a depending handle, generally designated 2. The handle is hollowand open across the bottom or butt end; and extending centrally up thefront wall 3 of the handle is a slot 4 which forms a continuation of thebottom opening of the handle. Within the housing I is an electric motorunit, a portion of which is indicated at 5; and depending from the unitadjacent the upper end of the handle cavity are two motor circuitcontacts 6 and l.

The bottom or open end of the handle 2 is adapted to be closed by anapertured plate, generally designed 8, which may be secured to thehandle walls by screws 9. The closure plate 8 is provided at one endwith an upstanding wall portion H! which is adapted to fit and close thelower part of the slot 4 in the front wall 3 of the handle. The wallportion in is channelled, as at H, and immediately behind the wallportion is formed a stepped block 12. As will be recognized, the wholeclosure plate structure 8 can readily be cast or molded in one piece.

Pivoted on a stud iii in the channel H i a switch trigger M, the upperportion of which is normally projected outwardly over the top of thewall portion In of the closure plate and substantially closes the upperportion of the handle slot 4. Immediately behind and engaging the switchtrigger I4 is the toggle arm ii of a switch it upstanding from andsecured to the block [2. The switch and switch trigger are thussupported on the closure plate quite independently of the handle.

At the upper end of the switch It, and positioned to engage the motorunit contacts-8 and 1 when the switch unit is inserted in the handle,are contacts H and I8; and at the lower end of the switch are bindingscrews I9, 20 for circuit leads 2!, 22, respectively, of cable 23. Thecable 23 is brought into the handle through the aperture 24 in theclosure plate 8 and it, too, is secured to the plate, as by ground clamp25 and screws 26, 21; the screw 26 serving also as a binding screw forthe ground wire 28.

The simplicity and advantages of the construction from the standpoint ofmanufacture as well as assembly will be apparent. Not only may theentire switch, trigger and cable unit be assembled on the closure platequite apart from the handle, but no connections whatever are required tobe made beyond the mere insertion of the unit into the handle and theinsertion of screws 9; and, in addition, the plate and handle are soorganized as to provide an integrated structure which is both compactand extremely rugged.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis:

1. In a portable tool including a motor housing, an electric motor unittherein, a handle having a cavity open across the butt end and up thecenter only of the front of the handle, the upper end of the cavitycommunicating with the motor housing, motor circuit contacts carried bythe motor unit and located adjacent the said upper end of the handlecavity, an apertured plate adapted to be secured to the butt end of thehandle to close the end of said cavity and having a channel, upstandingwall portion forming a partial closure for the front opening of thehandle, a ivoted switch trigger mounted on the plate in the channelthereof independently of the handle, said trigger normally projectingover said wall portion of the plate for external operation andsubstantially closing the remainder of the front opening of the handle,a trigger-controlled switch likewise mounted on the plate independentlyof the handle and having circuit contacts located to engage the saidmotor circuit contacts,

a cable extendin through the plate aperture with its leads connected tothe switch, and a clamp se curing the cable to the closure plate.

2. In a portable tool including a motor housing, an electric motor unittherein, a handle having a cavity open across the butt end and up thefront of the handle, the upper end of the cavity communicating with themotor housing,'motor circuit contacts carried by the motor unit andlocated adjacent the said upper end of the handle cavity, an aperturedplate adapted to be secured to the butt end of the handle to close theend of said cavity and having an upstanding wall portion forming apartial closure for the front opening of the handle, a pivoted switchtrigger mounted on the plate independently of the handle, said triggernormally projecting over said wall portion of the plate for externaloperation and substantially closing the remainder of the front openingof the handle, a trigger-controlled switch likewise mounted on the plateindependently of the handle and having circuit contacts located toengage the said motor circuit contacts, a cable extending through theplate aperture with its leads connected to the switch, and a clampsecuring the cable to the closure plate.

3. In a portable tool including a motor hous ing, an electric motor unittherein, a hollow handle having a bottom opening and a front opening,the upper end of the cavity communieating with the motor housing, motorcircuit contacts carried by the motor unit and located adjacent the saidupper end of the handle cavity, an apertured plate adapted to be securedto the butt end of the handle to close the bottom opening of saidcavity, a pivoted switch trigger mounted on the plate independently ofthe handle, said trigger normally projecting through the said frontopening for external operation, a triggercontrolled switch likewisemounted on the plate independently of the handle and having circuitcontacts located to engage the said motor circuit contacts, a cableextending through the plate aperture with its leads connected to theswitch and means securing the cable to the closure plate.

4. In a portable tool including a motor housing, an electric motor unittherein, a hollow handle having a cavity open across the butt endthereof, the upper end of the cavity communieating with the motorhousing, motor circuit contact carried by the motor unit and having afixed location adjacent the said upper end of the handle cavity, a platesecured to the butt end of the handle to close the butt end opening ofthe cavity, a switch-actuating member mounted on the plate independentlyof the handle, and a switch likewise mounted on the plate independentlyof the handle and having fixed circuit contacts so located as to bebrought into engagement with said motor circuit contacts by theinsertion of said switch into said handle.

5. In a portable tool, a hollow handle open at the butt end thereof, afront wall of the handle having a slot running substantially throughoutits length and forming a continuation of the butt end opening, a closureplate for the said butt end opening having an upstanding wall portionadapted to close the lower portion of said slot, and a switch unitsecured to the plate within and independently of the handle andincorporating a switch-actuating member normally projecting outwardlythrough and substantially closing the upper portion of the said slot.

REYN OLD I'IAPPE.

